Recite these prayers and you will be joining your prayers with those of the pilgrims in Rome who are actually able to physically visit the different Churches. You will also be participating in a 15 centuries-old Roman Catholic tradition. Be sure to check out the website of St. John Cantius for all your Lenten curiousities.

When Lent returns each year, Catholics have many sacramentals and customs to treasure: ashes, palms, fasting, Stations of the Cross, and Lenten retreats, to name a few. Few Catholics, however, know about the tradition of observing the Roman Stational Churches as a spiritual guide through Lent.

Historically, on particular days the faithful of Rome would gather (or collect together) with the pope at a designated church called the ecclesia collecta1 After the recitation of a prayer there, the assembly proceeded to another church referred to as the stational church.2 In procession, they chanted the Litany of the Saints. At the stational church, as the pope began the celebration of Mass, he gathered the petitions of all the faithful into a unified prayer called the collect.

As one might expect, the practice of observing the Roman stational churches did not unfold all at once, but developed gradually over centuries. For example, in Constantinople, Milan and Rome the Church did not initially celebrate the Eucharist on the Lenten weekdays. The prayers, readings, and psalms offered on the Lenten weekdays, which eventually gave birth to the Divine Office, concluded with the Orationes Solemnes (Solemn Prayers).3 Mass was not offered. By the close of the 5th century, Lenten weekdays evolved from a synaxis (Greek = gathering), a continuation of the Jewish synagogue service, into Eucharistic synaxis  the Sacrifice of the Mass.

Over time, the Roman Missal eventually designated 86 stational days using 45 stational churches in the course of the liturgical year, with stations assigned on solemnities such as Easter and Christmas.4 Most of the stational liturgies, however, occur during Lent. Pope Pius XI in 1934 made the most recent modification to the list of stational churches, adding Santa Agatha and Santa Maria Nuova. Romes stational liturgies slowly developed into this highly organized system, not only designating a specific church for each day of Lent, but also assigning specific liturgical propers (i.e., prayers, readings and choral chants) specially fit for each of these Lenten liturgies, as can be seen in the 1962 Missal of Blessed John XXIII.

Processional Nature of LiturgyThe pope participated in the stational processions accompanied by the entire clergy of the Lateran Basilica,5 and by the high palace dignitaries, laymen, and clerics.6 The processional nature of the liturgy appeared in other places than Rome. By the 4th century, the Church in Jerusalem organized liturgical processions to bring worshippers to the Biblical Holy Land sites. In Constantinople, the emperor made a ceremonial procession through the palace and into Hagia Sophia,7 in the company of the bishop  an image pointing to the rule of God and His Christ in the Heavenly Kingdom.

The popes stational processions displayed a stately quality as the Holy Father marched from the Lateran to the stational church of the day. As John Baldovin, SJ, observed in his study of early stational liturgies, as these processions of praying Christians wound their way through the Seven Hills of Rome they began to bring the Catholic faith to the public square.8 The processional liturgies, in a sense, revealed the Church to be that City of God9 set on a hill as a light of Christ before the world.10

However, the senatorial and aristocratic class resisted Constantines program of Christianization until the beginning of the 5th century. According to Baldovin, no Christian building stood in the venerable monumental area of Rome, the Forum, until two hundred years after Constantines acceptance of Christianity.11

Another historian of this period observed that the eventual eclipse of the imperial administrators in Rome by the authority of the pope12 manifested itself in multiple ways: the bishops throne (i.e., cathedra) assuming the status of the emperors throne, the pope enjoying an imperial guard, and the Church using elements of imperial court ceremony, like processional candles and incense, all of which transformed the scale of the Sacred Liturgy and gave it weight in the eyes of the public.

Titular Churches and Roman BasilicasIn the early centuries of the Church in Rome, there was no central basilica within the city. Constantine built basilicas, such as the Lateran, on the outskirts or outside the city walls. Instead, the Christians in the city of Rome worshiped in houses obtained by the Church for that purpose, called tituli. The tituli were located in the population centers of the city, but their distribution throughout the city was very uneven. They served as places for worship, baptism, instruction, welfare, administration, and living quarters for the clergy.13 All of the major basilicas and titular churches except three were used during Lenten stations. All of the Sundays are observed in the major basilicas, while weekdays are celebrated in the tituli.14 By the 4th century Rome had its twenty-five titular churches  and amazingly most of these churches retain the same names today.

Since not all the Christians of Rome could attend the same Mass, delegations from the twenty-five tituli attended the stational liturgies along with the clergy of these parishes. In order that the Sacred Liturgy could be offered in each stational church with solemnity, Pope Hilarius (461) gave liturgical vessels (i.e., chalices, patens, etc.) for stational services to the tituli. As a sign of the unity of the entire mystical Body of Christ with the pope as its visible head, acolytes transported to the priests of each titulus the Blessed Sacrament (fermentum) that had been consecrated by the pope.15

Venerating the Stational SaintsThe stational observance, as liturgical scholar Pius Parsch once put it, is a constant exhortation to worship in common.16 It effectively reminds us that a company of saints surrounds the Church militant on its earthly pilgrimage. On a stational day Parsch says, the saint was represented as a living person, and considered as alive and present in the midst of the congregation.17

While processing to the station, the people chant the Litany of the Saints. The Church includes in that litany the stational saint of the day, whom the Church has selected as the icon of Christian virtue for our imitation. Thus, stational observance offers a magnificent way of venerating the saints.

The daily Mass propers of Lent generally refer to the stational saint or to some historical event associated with the place. For example, San Lorenzo in Luciana is the stational church for the third Friday of Lent. Historically, the Gospel that day is about the woman at the well, and San Lorenzo is located over the site of an old well. On the third Saturday of Lent, the epistle tells the Old Testament story of Susanna, and the Gospel recalls the woman caught in the act of adultery. Naturally, the pope selected Santa Susanna as the stational church for that day. San Eusebius is the stational church for the fourth Friday of Lent, located on the site of an ancient necropolis.18 This serves as a perfect place to read the Gospel for that day about the raising of Lazarus.

In the New Testament, we learn that Saint Peter suffered imprisonment twice. Acts 12:6 reports that an angel caused the chains to fall from Peters hands and led him to freedom past the sleeping guards. Eudocia, the wife of Emperor Teodosio II (408-450 AD), journeyed to Jerusalem, found the chain that had bound Peter during his second imprisonment, and gave it to Pope Leo the Great (440-461). When Pope Leo compared this chain to the other chain he had from Saint Peters nine-month-long imprisonment in the Mamertine Prison, they miraculously fused together into one unbreakable series of links.

Because of this miracle, Eudocia built the Basilica of Saint Peter in Chains, and dedicated it to the apostle in the year 442. On Monday of the first week of Lent the Church makes a stational visit there reading the Gospel19 passage where Christ says, I was in prison and you came unto me. The number of links in Peters chains corresponds to the number of days remaining until Easter, when Judahs lion burst his chains and crushed the serpents head.20

Stational Churches from the Middle Ages to AvignonIn his book The Liturgical Year, Dom Prosper Gueranger, Benedictine Abbot of Solesmes, observed that the practice of the stational churches constituted a core Lenten practice in the monastic life of the Middle Ages: Particularly on the Wednesdays and Fridays, processions used frequently to be made from one church to another. In monasteries, these processions were made in the cloister, and barefooted. This custom was suggested by the practice of Rome, where there is a Station for every day of Lent which, for many centuries, began by a procession to the stational church.21

Some report that Christians abandoned the practice of the stational churches in the Middle Ages when Pope Clement V moved the papacy to Avignon in 1305. But history records that Margery Kempe (1373-1440), the English mystic, gave an account of her participation the stational churches in her pilgrimage to Rome during Lent in 1415. In addition, the Augustinian friar John Capgrave visited Rome between 1447 and 1452, about 35 years after Kempes stay in Rome, and made a historic record of his participation in the stational church liturgies in his book.22

Twentieth-century RestorationIn 1586, Sixtus V attempted to popularize the stations, but with little success. In 1870, the unified Italian government imprisoned the pope, so he could not visit the churches of Rome. In 1929, the Lateran Treaty freed the pope from his captivity, and while Pius XI did not resume the stational practice himself, he encouraged other bishops to take up the practice by granting indulgences.

Monsignor Carlo Respighi (d. 1947), who served as the Prefect of the Apostolic Ceremonies and Magister of the Collegium Cultorum Martyrum in Rome, was instrumental in reviving the popularity of visiting the Lenten stational churches. In 1959, John XXIII showed his love of the stational churches as he revived the custom as a matter of papal ceremony. Paul VI, in the Latin editio typica altera of the 1970 Missale Romanum, strongly recommended (valde commendatur) that this custom continue, at least in larger churches worldwide.

Under John Paul II, the Congregation for Divine Worship in 1988 stated that the Roman tradition of the stational churches can be recommended as a model for gathering the faithful in one place at the tombs of the saints, or in the principle churches of the city or sanctuaries, or some place of pilgrimage which has a special significance for the diocese.23 And today our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI reminds us,24 These rites retain their value, despite the passing of centuries, because they recall how important it also is in our day to accept Jesus words without compromises: If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.25

Those who have the privilege to visit Rome in Lent can usually expect the Holy Father to begin Lent by making a pilgrimage to the Aventine Hill at Santa Sabina, the stational church for Ash Wednesday. The Collegium Cultorum Martyrum26 celebrates Holy Mass at all the stational churches daily at 5:00 p.m. And at least since the Holy Year of 1975, priests and seminarians of the North American College have established the custom of visiting the stational churches during Lent, walking to each church for an early Mass at 7:00 a.m. As an Australian seminarian recently observed, Attending the stational churches truly enriches Lent beyond the regular sacrifices . The rhythm of a different church, a new martyr each day so early in the morning, is a powerful reminder of the purpose of Lent and the Way of the Cross lived by so many in the past.27

Local visits to the Stational ChurchesOn the diocesan level, bishops today can designate certain churches as stational churches for Lent. If this were done, the people of a diocese would have a unique opportunity to make a mini-Lenten pilgrimage in the tradition of the Roman stational churches, to which an indulgence could be attached. It would provide an opportunity to highlight the importance of communal fasting, prayer and almsgiving.

In parishes, stational shrines can be erected as has been done at St. John Cantius in Chicago for the past decade. The people can erect a Lenten stational church shrine in a conspicuous place (e.g., a side altar, the vestibule, a side chapel) with a placard displaying the title of the Stational Church of the Day. Small votive candles or candelabra could be placed around the painting, icon or relic of the stational saint appointed for that day. Before Mass, the people could meet the celebrant at the stational church shrine as the Roman Church gathers at the ecclesia collecta. The celebrant may then reverence this stational church shrine, incensing the painting, icon or relic of the stational saint. Before the people chant the Litany of the Saints, the priest or deacon may chant, Procedamus in pace,28 to which the people reply, In Nomine Christi. Amen. As the procession makes its way through the church toward the altar, a thurifer, crucifer, and acolytes could lead the procession.

Families can even set up a stational church shrine at home, using a simple holy card to display the saint who is the stational leader of the day. Children could easily make a sign displaying the title of the daily stational church. The family can light candles at the stational church shrine and recite the Litany of the Saints. The family may even enjoy reading from a special booklet prepared at St. John Cantius called the Stational Churches of Rome.29 The brief entry for each of the days of Lent touches on the lives of the saints and the history of the Church in Rome, and gives a much-needed structure to the home Lenten devotional practices that relate to the Sacred Liturgy.

As Lent returns, we again look forward to ashes, palms and Stations of the Cross. But as we fast and abstain from worldly pleasures, we should not starve ourselves of the spiritual food which our Church so richly stores up for us. This Lent, feast on the richness of our Catholic faith and go on a pilgrimage to the Roman stational churches. If we do this, our Lenten experience will come alive as we follow Pope Benedict XVI and the stational saints up the Sabine Hill on Ash Wednesday and into St. Mary Major on Easter morning, where we rejoice with Our Lady in singing a triple Alleluia.

9 Saint Augustine of Hippo wrote De Civitate Dei (The City of God) in the early 5th century reminding the Christians that Church was at the heart of the City of God, which should be concerned with the mystical, heavenly city, the New Jerusalem  rather than with earthly politics.

26 The Commission of Sacred Archeology, founded in mid-19th century, to direct excavations in the catacombs, created the College of the Cult of Martyrs to hold religious services in the catacombs on martyrs feast-days in order to stimulate interest and knowledge regarding the early Church.

27 Deacon Andrew Keswick, a seminarian studying for the Archdiocese of Melbourne, Australia, interviewed by Zenit news service in an article entitled: Lenten Tradition of Station Churches Lives On: An Edifice a Day Helps Focus on Paschal Mystery; www.zenit.org/ article-18965?l=english.

28 As in Palm Sunday Procession and as on other occasions the deacon chants Let us go forth in peace. The people reply, In the Name of Christ. Amen.

Father Scott Haynes composes choral music for St. John Cantius Church in Chicago, where he is associate pastor. He was ordained in 2007 for the Archdiocese of Chicago as a member of the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius.

Ping me? I realize what I’m going to start doing again tomorrow. I usually do a rosary each morning but I’m going to do the Divine Mercy Chaplet. I have a wonderful iTune version I listen to. Last year I walked a lot and listened to it. To listen to the entire thing took one hour. I’ll do five stations a day. Music is sort of country. Very nice meditation. Mark Mallet is the artist if you want to search for it. I’ll also use these websites. Thanks.

Remember, O man, you are dust and unto dust you shall return (Prayer for the Deposition of Ashes).

From as early as the third century, the Church of Rome observed the season of Lent by journey each day to a "Station Church" or one of the ancient and prominent churches of Rome. Here the Bishop of Rome, the Holy Father, would lead the people in prayer. It is a symbol of unity as well as a pilgrimage of faith. Unfortunately, the custom ceased during the Avignon papacy in 1305 but interest was revived by Saint Leo XIII at the turn of the 20th century. Blessed John XXIII fully was restored the custom in 1959.

Today, from the earliest times, the Mass is celebrated in the Church of Santa Sabina, "The gem of the Aventine", and home of the Dominicans. Santa Sabina was one of a group of martyrs who shed her blood for our faith during the Vesparian persecutions (69-79). At 5:00 in the evening on Ash Wednesday, the Holy Father will come here to participate at an Ecumenical penance service where he will receive ashes.

If there is any place in Rome where Lent, with its atmosphere of penitential solitude mixes with the reawakening of spring, then it must be along this path which climbs up from the Circus Maximus towards the Aventine, on the top of which stands the Church of St. Sabina.

In God's name then let us go up to the holy mount. Is it not significant that the first Lenten mystery is celebrated on a mount, the Aventine? Already in pre-Christian days this hill was an asylum for refugees, a post of security. To St. Sabinaa martyr, converted to the faith by the prayers, fasts and example of her Christian servantwe entrust ourselves today. To her we have recourse in our sinfulness. She will present her martyrdom and her prayers to God on our behalf and obtain His blessing upon our Christian warfare, so that "we may be converted to God with our whole heart, in fasting and in weeping and in mourning, and rend our hearts and not our garments, and turn to the Lord, our God."

Let us pray: Grant, O Lord, to Thy faithful people that they may begin the venerable solemnities of fasting with becoming piety, and may persevere to the end with steadfast devotion. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

St. John Cantius, Chicago, is an extraordinary church. If you're in the area, and have the time, you will be so pleased to attend a mass there, whether Tridentine, or Novus Ordo. The NO mass has the inclusion of several rubrics from the Tridentine, and it is not your usual NO mass. At both masses, there are no altar girls, no Eucharistic ministers, no sign of peace, no bringing up of the collection, no Communion by hand. There *is* Gregorian chant/special choirs at a couple of the masses, and incense at a couple others, plenty of altar servers (of all ages), confession at *all* Sunday masses, before, after and during (and there are lines), and plenty of respect, respect, respect. The Canton Regulars, themselves, by and large are very slim (they either aren't fed or fast a lot:)), wear cassocks, and are joyful and helpful and walk about the church sometimes hurriedly to have it sparkling clean and beautiful for Our Lord.

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posted on 02/17/2010 5:31:51 AM PST
by mlizzy
("Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person" --Mother Teresa.)

Just a short distance from St. Sabina stands our second stational church, St. George in Velabro. The church dates back to the year 500, but was reconstructed under Leo II (682-683). This church is one of the original 25 diaconal seats of the Roman church. The head of this warrior Saint is preserved under the high altar.

The purpose of Holy Lent is to bring about a spiritual renovation. This work of renovation is accomplished by both God and man; by God, principally through the holy Eucharist; by man, mainly by fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. May our stational patron, St. George, helps us to overcome the dragon of inertia in our prayer life and to cast again with new fervor our cares upon the Lord.

Let us pray: O God, who by sin art offended and by penance appeased, mercifully regard the prayers of Thy suppliant people, and turn away the scourges of Thy wrath, which we deserve for our sins. Through Christ, Our Lord.Amen.

"May everything we do begin with your inspiration, continue with your help, and reach perfection under your guidance" (Collect for today).

Today's Station Church is San Giorgio in Velabro. The ancient church already existed in the 5th century. In the 7th century, it was dedicated to Saint Sebastian, the Roman soldier who was martyred by Diocletian (297-305). It was made a Station Church by Pope Gregory II (715-731). Pope Saint Zachary (741-752) brought the head of Saint George here and made him a co-patron of the church. The relic is now under the altar. Saint George, the famed "dragon slayer", like Saint Sebastian, was a soldier martyred during the Diocletian persecution (284-305). He died in Cappadocia (Turkey). The fresco in the apse is of Christ in the center flanked by the Blessed Mother and Saint George on his right and Saints Peter and Sebastian on his left. The Church was once under the patronage of Cardinal Newman. It was bombed in 1993 by the Mafia after the Holy Father spoke out against them. It was then restored.

The third Lenten Station takes us up to a high hill of ancient Romethe Celian Hill, which stands in front of the Palatine and which dominates the valley of the Circus Maximus. The church was built upon the house where Saints John and Paul were martyred and buried. Martyred in the year 361, by Julian the Apostate, they were two imperial officers in Constantine's court.

We celebrate the divine mysteries today in the light of the "two candelabras shining before the Lord," as the Church calls the two brothers John and Paul. There can be no fruitful lent without practical charity. Practical charity means that we must come to our brother's rescue sincerely, unselfishly and supernaturally.

As children of the God of charity, let us so approach today's Eucharist that it may enkindle in us the spirit of true Christian charity, and thus to "be perfect, as our heavenly Father is perfect."

Let us pray: Regard with Thy loving care, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the fast which we have begun; that the abstinence, which we keep with our body may be exercised with sincerity of mind. We ask this Through Christ, Our Lord.Amen.

Lord, through this Lenten Eucharist may we grow in your love and service and become an acceptable sacrifice to you. We ask this through Christ our Lord" (Prayer Over Gifts for today).

Santi Giovanni e Paulo. Saints John and Paul were officers of the Imperial Court in Constantinople but returned home to serve Julian "The Apostate" (emperor 331-363). They were asked to prove their fidelity to the empire by renouncing their God in favor of the deities of the State. They refused and were beheaded in their home on 26 June 362.

A church was built over the site of their home in 398. It was rebuilt several times and is now one of the finest baroque churches in Rome and home to the Passionists. In fact, St. Paul of the Cross (1694-1755) is buried here. It was the titular church of Pius XII and New York Cardinals Spellman, Cooke, O'Connor, and now has Cardinal Egan as protector.

Pope Pasquale II (1099-1118) laid the relics of St. Tryphon to rest under the present church of St. Augustine.

Health of body and, above all, health of soul are precious gifts from Godgifts for which we must be grateful. The Church is particularly concerned about the health of our soul, the well being in us of the life of Christ. She knows our spiritual shortsightedness, she knows, the unsteadiness of our will, she knows the power of our passions, all of theminfirmities caused by Original Sin, as well as by our personal sins. She sees her children make resolutions and break them. She knows how often the fuller unfolding of the sacramental life is impeded because her sons and daughters are lacking in purity of intention and proper appreciation of God's gifts.

For that very reason she instituted this holy season as a time of great healing. Lent is God's hospital. Serious operations are to be performed during this time. And blessed are they who gladly submit to them. Vitia comprimis, mentem elevasvices are to be curbed, spiritual cancers to be removed, the mind is to be renewed, elevated, so that, after our stay in His hospital, the same mind may be in us, which is also in Christ Jesus. We humbly implore our dual Saints to guide us to the Divine Physician, the Healer of our soul and body.

Let us pray: Be mindful, O Lord, of our supplications, and grant that we may keep with devout service this solemn fast, which thou has wholesomely ordained for the healing of our souls and bodies. Through Christ, Our Lord.Amen.

Sant' Agostino. The Church of Saint Augustine is one of my favorites. It is located a stone's throw from Piazza Navona. It was the first church built in the Renaissance style in Rome although as soon as you walk in, you are struck by its present extraordinary Baroque ornamentation.

Above the altar is an icon of our Lady, which was once in the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (now Istanbul). It was brought here after the city fell to the Moslems. In this church is one of my favorite statues, our Lord with his mother and grandmother by Sansovino (1512). The look shared between Saint Anne and our Lord is extremely touching (see photo). Above this is a beautiful fresco of Isaiah by Raphael (1512). In a side chapel near the back of the Church there is the famous picture of Our Lady of Loreto or Our Lady of the Pilgrims by Caravaggio (1604).

There is also a statue by Sansovino of the Madonna of Birth where all of the Roman women come and pray for safe deliveries (1516). But the highlight is the tomb of Saint Monica - a model of faithful perseverance in prayer (332-387). Through her intercession, her wayward son, Augustine, converted and became a Doctor of the Church. There I offered a prayer for my mother, in thanksgiving for her prayers, and for all mothers.

The Cathedral Basilica of Romecaput et mater omnium ecclesiarum Urbis et Orbistriumphantly celebrates the first solemn day of Lent.

Today, the faithful pilgrim in spirit to the Lateran Basilica of the Most Holy Savior, "head and mother of all the churches of the City and the World," the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome. In this basilica Lent officially begins, in this church also, it is concluded.

The acceptable time is at hand. "We exhort that you receive not the grace of God in vain." "It is true," says St. Leo, "there is no season, which is not rich with God' gifts. His grace does ever give us an entry to His mercy, yet at this time the minds of all should be urged with greater earnestness towards spiritual progress, and should be animated by a trust in God stronger than ever, for now the anniversary of that day on which we were redeemed is drawing near. Therefore, let us be moved to perform every work of godliness, to the end that we may be able to celebrate, with clean minds and bodies, that mystery, which excels all othersthe mystery of the Lord's passion." (Matins, Second Nocturne)

This holy fast (Quadragesima) will open unto us the gates of Paradise. We must embrace it with prayer and supplication, so that we may rejoice with the Lord on the day of Resurrection.

Let us pray: O God, who does purify Thy Church by the yearly observance of forty days; grant to Thy household that what we strive to obtain from Thee by self-denial, we may secure by good works. Through Christ, Our Lord.Amen.

"Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Communion Antiphon for today - Mt 4:4)

San Giovanni in Laterano. Saint John Lateran is the Cathedral of Rome, one of the four major basilicas, site of five ecumenical councils, home of the popes until 1304 when they left for Avignon, and the first church to be dedicated to the Holy Redeemer (324). The Lateran family property was given to Pope Merchiades (311-314) by Constantine shortly after his conversion (10/28/312). Pope Sylvester I (314-335) built and consecrated the basilica in 324. During the consecration, a bust of the Lord appeared in the apse for all to see. Centuries later, it was placed under the additional patronage of Saints John the Baptist (10th C) and John the Evangelist (12th C).

The papal altar contains the relic of the original altar said to have been used by Saint Peter and the early Popes. Above it is the relics of the heads of both Saints Peter and Paul. It is no wonder it is considered "the Mother and Head of all the churches in the City and in the World (omnium urbis et orbis ecclesiarum mater et caput).

From the heart of the Roman Forum, the penitential procession climbed up the road winding up towards the Esquiline Hill and came to the church of St. Peter in Chains, also called the "Eudossian Basilica" (as it had been built in the place of another church by Eurdossia, wife of the emperor Valentinian III, to preserve in it the chains of St. Peter).

The Station of this day is at St. Peter in Chains and the Church takes us today to the divinely appointed watchman of "the lambs and sheep of Christ"St. Peter.The Chains, which held the shepherd of the lambs and sheep consist of forty-four links. Forty-four days separate us from Holy Thursday, the beginning of the Paschal solemnities when our "Lenten" work must be an accomplished fact.

How many links has that chain from which Christ, our good Shepherd, desires to free us in this acceptable time? We are fully aware that during this season of salvation this chain must be broken and the links thrown outthe big ones in particular. Which are your principal faults? Are you working against them?

Let us pray: Convert us, O God our salvation, that the Lenten fast may be of profit to us. Instruct our minds with heavenly discipline. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

"Lord, may this offering of our love be acceptable to you. Let it transform our lives and bring us your mercy. We ask this through Christ our Lord" (Pray over the Gifts for today).

San Pietro in Vincoli. Saint Peter in Chains. This basilica in 109 by Theodora, a pious Roman lady, to house the chains which bound Saint Peter in the Mamertine prison. In 436, Eudocia, who husband was Theodocius II, Emperor of the East (408-450), sent the chains which bound Saint Peter in Jerusalem to her daughter, Euxodia Zicinia, in Rome. When Sixtus III (432-440) placed these two chains side by side, they miraculously united to form one chain. The chains are located in the confessio before the high altar for the faithful to venerate (see photo). Also under the altar are the remains of the seven Maccabee brothers (2 Macc 7). Also in this church is the famed Moses, sculpted by Michelangelo (1515), as part of a tomb for the famed Renaissance pope, Julius II, 1503-1513).

Linked to this church is the tradition of the "first-light" MassMass at dawnwhich is celebrated in the first hours of the Christmas morning.

We keep this day in company with the widow-martyr, whose heavenly birthday the Church observes on the very birthday of the Light of the world. In the Christmas Mass "at dawn" St. Anastasia, whose name means "dawn"the new lightis commemorated. In that "aurora Mass" and again today, the words fulgebit, fulgeat"shine, radiateoccur.

A holy "radiating" is the fruit of a holy Lent. Everyone is called to be an "Anastasia", a new light, replenished by the light of ChristLumen Christi.

Let us pray: Look down upon Thy household, Lord, and grant that our souls, chastened by the mortification of the flesh, may radiate in Thy sight with the desire for Thee. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

"Forgive us the wrong we have done as we forgive those who wrong us" (Gospel for today - Mt 6:12).

Sant' Anastasia. Saint Anastasia was the daughter of a Roman noble. She cared for those in prison. As a result of her charity, she was accused of being a Christian during the Diocletian persecution (284-305). She was condemned to die by starvation by setting her adrift in a small boat in the sea. She miraculously survived. She was then condemned to be burnt alive in 304 (see photo of her sculpture under the main altar). A church was later built over her home. Once one of the 25 most beautiful churches in Rome, it has recently been restored.

On the Esquiline Hill, not far from St. Peter in Chains, towers the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

If Grandiose, both in its exterior and in it interior, the Basilica was erected by Pope Sixtus III (432-440), one year after the proclamation by the Council of Ephesus of the dogma of TheotokosMary, Mother of God. Before being called "St. Mary Major," the ancient Romans had called it the Basilica Liberii (back to Pope Liberius (352-366). In August 352, Pope Liberius experience a vision of Our Lady and it was She, who traced out the dimensions of this church. Pope Liberius then saw with his own eyes the area of land covered in snow on which the church was to be built.This Basilica also contains the revered image of the Madonna of St. Luke, called Salus Populi Romani.

How have I kept the first eight days of Lent? Surely, as "the glory of the Lord dwelt upon Sinai" and upon Moses, so the "right hand of His Majesty" was extended over us during the past week.

Let us pray: Graciously look down, O Lord, we beseech Thee, upon the devotion of Thy people, that they, who are mortified in body by abstinence, may be refreshed in mind through the fruit of good works. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Santa Maria Maggiore. Saint Mary Major is one of the four major basilicas and the oldest church in the West dedicated to the Mother of God. In 353, a noble Roman received a message from our Lady that a church dedicated to her honor should be built on the Esquiline Hill. When he told Pope Liberius (353-366), the Holy Father asked for a sign. The next day, August 5th, it snowed on the spot designated by our Lady (August is unbearably hot in Rome). (To this day, August 5th is celebrated as Our Lady of Snows and white rose pedals are showered upon those who enter the church for prayer.) The building was dedicated by Pope Sixtus III (432-440) shortly after the Council of Ephesus, which declared Mary as the theotokos - the Mother of God (431). The photo is of the Pauline chapel (after Pope Paul V), which was built to house the ancient icon of Mary, which hangs over the altar. (Note the luminous tabernacle!) This day, the Wednesday of the first week of Lent, is the traditional day for scrutiny of the candidates for priesthood.

This church was built in ancient times under the Emperor Valerian on the site of the martyrdom of Saint Lawrence (258). In its harmonious interior, at the end of the nave is a large fresco depicting the martyrdom of Saint Lawrence.

We place all our Lenten petitions in the hands of the "standard-bearer of the Roman Church"-St. Lawrence, to whose prayers and martyrdom is attributed the final triumph at Rome of the Cross over paganismof light over darkness. May the Holy Deacon, whose heart was filled with Eucharistic fervor, accompany us on this Thursday to the reception of "the bread, which is Christ's flesh for our life for that of the whole world."

Let us pray: Mercifully look down, we beseech Thee, O Lord, upon the devotion of Thy people, that they who are mortified in the flesh by abstinence, may be refreshed in mind by the fruit of good works. We ask this Through Christ, Our Lord.Amen.

"My Lord, our King, you alone are God. Help me, who am alone and have no help but you" (First Reading for today - Esther C-14).

San Lorenzo in Panisperna. Saint Lawrence was one of the seven deacons of Rome and was martyred in 258, four days after Sixtus II (257-258) during the Valerian persecution (253-260). The emperor knew that the Christians were noted for their generosity and so he assumed the Church was rich. He ordered Saint Lawrence to appear before him with the treasures of the Church. Saint Lawrence did so. He returned with the poor and sick saying "Here is the Church's treasure." He was put to death at the site of today's Station Church by being roasted alive on a grill. Tradition says that at one point, he asked his executioners to turn him over so he could be burnt evenly (see photo and notice the tabernacle!). Also inside this church is one of the crucifixes which was said to have spoken to St Bridget (see photo).

The Station Masses on Thursdays took place in the traditional diaconate churches in Rome - dedicated to feeding the poor.

This is accord with the Holy Thursday, the day when we were first fed the Bread of Life and Cup of Salvation. The church of Saint Lawrence, true to her patron, was always one of the diaconate churches in Rome. That is probably were the title "Panisperna" is derived (panis - bread and perna - ham). The monks probably distributed ham sandwiches!

Photo: San Lorenzo in Panisperna...."one of the crucifixes which was said to have spoken to St. Bridget."

Today we find ourselves at the Basilica dedicated to the Apostles and in particular to the Saints Philip and James the Minor, whose bodies are enclosed in a precious marble urn located under the main altar in the crypt.

Today, thirty-eight days before Easter, the Church reads to us the account of the cure of a man sick for thirty-eight years. This miracle occurred at the pool of Bethsaida. The merciful Jesus healed body and soul of this friendless sufferer. After the cure, Jesus said to him: "Behold thou art made whole; sin no more, lest some worse thing happen to thee."

This sick man is a picture of the world, especially of the pagan worlda world in a state of utter helplessness, laden with sin, steeped in despair, with no one to help it but Him who is "the expectation of all nations and their Savior." The Church entrusts us today to the Holy Apostles. In their company we will celebrate the healing mysteries. In their presence we will answer the question of the king of Apostles: "Will thou be made whole?" "I will, Lord. Save Thy servant, O my God that trusts in Thee. Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer."

Let us pray: Be gracious, O Lord, unto Thy people, and even as thou make them devoted to Thee, so mercifully revive them with Thy kind assistance. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen

"By my life, I do not wish the sinner to die, says the Lord, but to turn to me and live" (Communion Antiphon for today - Ez 33:11).

Santi Dodici Apostoli. The Church of the Twelve Apostles is my parish church, erected by Julius I (337-352) over the barracks of ancient Rome's firemen and entrusted since 1463 to the Conventual Franciscans (St. Maximilian Kolbe lived here). It is a good symbol for we, the Church, in that it has survived floods (esp. 1598), earthquakes (esp. 1348), fires (esp. 1872), plagues, famines, and wars. Traditionally, this is the place where the Romans choose their candidates for priesthood (Rite of Election). Restored several times, it is stunning. So much so, I couldn't get a good picture of it. Instead, I went down into the confessio, in the style of the catacombs, where, as the signs indicate, the earthly remains of Saints Philip and James the Less have been interred since 1 May 565. Note the depiction of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, the earliest icon of our Lord. The sarcophagus depicts the Lord flanked by Philip and James and the miracle of the Multiplication of the Loaves. Also in the confessio are remains of unnamed martyrs, which were moved here from the catacombs for their safety.

In the past, people used to prepare with prayer and fasting throughout the night before coming to this Station, which takes place in the major church of Christendom, at the tomb of the Prince of the Apostles.

It was at this Station that the Pope consecrated priests, joining to the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist that of the Ordination of Priests. The monumentality of the Basilica and the columned square, which embraces the vast crowds like immense arms, is only a framework to the great light, which from here radiates to all the world.

St. Peter, rock of the Church, bearer of the keys of God's Kingdom, great priest of Jesus Christ, holy shepherd of His flock, bless those who are called to be fishers of men.

Let us pray: Direct our actions, we beseech Thee, O Lord, by Thy inspiration and further them with Thy continual help; that every prayer of ours may begin always from Thee and through Thee likewise be ended. Through Christ, Our Lord.Amen.

"Eternal Father, turn our hearts to you. By seeking your kingdom and loving one another, may we become a people who worship you in spirit and truth. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen" (Collect for today).

San Pietro in Vaticano. Saint Peter's basilica was erected over the place where Saint Peter was buried (63-67), in a necropolis near Nero's circus (sporting arena) where he was martyred. From the beginning, the simple potter's plot off a simple dirt path became a place of prayer. A simple shrine was erected by Pope Anacletus (79-91). Constantine later built a basilica over the tomb (323), using the necropolis and part of the wall of the circus as a foundation. It was consecrated November 18, 326.

In the Piazza della Navicella (which gets its name from the fountain built around the marble model of a ship) is the Church of St. Mary in Dominicaan ancient church founded around the year 600.

The purpose of this Holy Season is to transfigure us. The transfiguration of Christ, the Head, is the beginning and source of the transfiguration of His Body, the Church, and of every member of the Church.

The stational protectress today is our glorious Mother herselfSancta Maria in Dominicathe grandest "transfiguration" accomplished by Christ, the Savior. To her maternal love and prayers we commend ourselves and so keep this second Sunday of Lent that we may merit to hear also from her lips: "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased."

Let us pray: O God, who sees that we have no power whatever from ourselves, keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities, which may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts, which may hurt the soul. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Threatened with its collapse, Julius II decided to rebuild it (1506). The project involved the greatest of minds at the time including Raphael, Maderno, Michelangelo, and Bernini. 120 years later, it was consecrated on November 18, 1626, 1300 years after its first consecration. There are no stained glass windows in it. Bernini's image of the Holy Spirit, (see photo), is made from alabaster. (This is a sign of hope for those of use who are as dense as rock - the Holy Spirit can still shine through us!) Without a doubt Saint Peter's is one of the most beautiful churches in the world and an incredible testament to the faith of our ancestors. (The photo of the facade was taken during the Consistory of February 21, 2001, when the Holy Father created 44 new Cardinals.)

Today is the traditional day when priests were ordained at the foot of the altar at Saint Peter's. The celebration began with a vigil this evening, which culminated with the ordination Sunday morning.

Santa Maria in Domnica. This Church was once the home of a noble Roman matron, Saint Cyriaca. During the time of persecution, Christians met there to worship, hence the name "Domnica" from the Latin word for house, dominus. She and Saint Lawrence took care of the poor and sick. Known for her generosity, she was accused of being a Christian and was scourged to death on August 23, 258. May our homes also be churches, places of prayer and sanctuary, and may we also be known as Christians by our charity.

The church itself is ancient. Paschal I (817-824) restored it. The apse mosaic is one of the oldest.

It is important because it is the first depiction of the Christ Child on the lap of His Mother. They are surrounded by the angelic host and Pope Paschal kneels at their feet (his is still alive as he has a square nimbus). Also, for the first time in Rome, Christ is pictured above sitting on a rainbow, surrounded by a nimbus of light. He is flanked by the apostles. During a later alterations by Leo X, Raphael was the architect (1483-1520).

This stational church is built above the very house of the third successor of St. Peter, whose name is found in the Roman Canon  St. Clement. This parish church of Rome established in the fifth century is a most faithful example of the old Roman basilicas. Under the high altar are the remains of the martyr, Ignatius of Antioch, as well as, St. Clement.

Sts. Clement and Ignatius are true heroes, as their martyr-blood became the "seed of Christians." Clement and Ignatiuskindness and firesymbols of Him, who is kindness to men of good will, though their sins be red as scarlet; kindness and forgiveness to all, who in the spirit of Daniel, turn to Him and pray: "We have sinned, we have committed iniquity, O Lord, against all Thy justice. Let Thy wrath and Thy indignation be turned away, I beseech Thee, from Thy city Jerusalem and from Thy holy mountain for it is not for our justification that we present our prayers before Thy face, but for the multitude of Thy tender mercies."With St. Clement we will offer "the Sacrifice of propitiation and praise. May it render us worthy of God's protection."

Let us pray: Grant we beseech Thee, O Almighty God, that Thy family, while afflicting the flesh by fasting from food, may follow justice and abstain from sin. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

"Lord, may this communion bring us pardon and lead us to the joy of heaven. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen" (Prayer after Communion for Today).

San Clemente. Clement was a slave owned by the cousin of the emperor, Domitian. He was succeeded by the martyr Linus (66-78), the martyr Cletus (79-91), and then Clement (91-101). He may have been a co-worker with Paul (Phil 4:3) and a witness of Peter and Paul's martyrdoms. He wrote a letter to the Corinthians (96), the first known example of a Pope intervening in the affairs of another Church and speaks of the Orders of bishop, priest, and deacon as being instituted by Christ (for a while this was considered by some to be part of the New Testament). Legend has it he was martyred by being drowned with an anchor tied around his neck. His earthly remains rest under the main altar. Saints Cyril and Methodious are also buried here.

This ancient church is living history. It was first a temple to Mithras (pre-Roman). An imperial palace was then built on top of the ruins (1st C). Clement had a house here where he gathered the faithful for Divine Liturgies. It continued to be a place of worship.

Constantine started to built a church on this site and it was dedicated in 384. This church was destroyed by the Norman invaders (1804). The present church was built on top of the ruins by Pachal II (1099-1118). The former ruins have been excavated so you can now go down and visit all four levels of history. Extraordinary!! Raphael was the architect (1483-1520).

The Station today is at the sanctuary of St. Balbinaa Roman virgin, who lived in the second century and whose remains, along with those of her father, the martyr St. Quirinus, lies under the altar. This church stands on a slope of the Aventine Hill.

St. Balbina followed Christ. To Him she gave her home that it might henceforth be His home where He would "have mercy on His people according to His great mercy and blot out their iniquity" and where they would seek His face, and finding it, "relate all His wonders, and be glad and rejoice and sing praise to the name of the Most High." I seek Your face! Your face, O Lord, will I still seek. Turn not away Your face from me.

Let us pray: Of Thy goodness, we beseech Thee, O Lord. Continue to help us in the observance of this holy fast, that having learned our duties from Thee, we may accomplish them by the help of Thy grace. Through Christ, Our Lord.Amen.

"Lord, help us always, for without you we are bound to fail" (Adapted from Collect for today).

Santa Balbina. Unfortunately, little known about Saint Balbina except from earliest times she was venerated as a Christian martyr, probably at the time of emperor Hadrian (132). Tradition has it that she was baptized and chose Christ as her spouse. Since she refused to be unchaste, she and her father, Quirinus, were accused, convicted, and executed for being Christian. Pope Saint Mark (336) erected this church in Balbina's memory and the earthly remains of father and daughter lie together under the altar.

In the heart of Transtiber Rome, entered by way of a Baroque gateway portal and a cheerful courtyard, towers the splendid church of St. Cecilia, in which is buried St. Cecilia, the virgin-martyr. In the fifth century, this church was one of the most celebrated churches in Rome.

On Ash Wednesday, the church was St. Sabina, the martyr-matron. On Wednesday of the first week of Lent, we visited St. Mary Major. On this third Wednesday, it is again a womanthe virgin-martyr and "glory of the early Church," St. Cecilia, who leads us to "the Son of Man, who came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many."

One reason why Christians often are lacking in joy and holy enthusiasm is their lack of purity. We know how the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. The two cannot live in the same house. One of the two must go. St. Cecilia knew no compromise. Her baptismal garment was never stained by impurity.

Let us pray: O God, the restorer and lover of innocence, turn towards Thee the hearts of Thy servants; that being inflamed with the fervor of Thy Spirit, they may be found both steadfast in faith and fruitful in good works. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Day XV. Wednesday, Week II"The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, who will condemn him to death. They will turn him over to the Gentiles, to be made sport of and flogged and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised up" (Gospel for today - Mt 20:18-19).

Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. Through prayers and good example, Saint Cecilia converted her husband, St. Valerian, and her brother-in-law, St. Tiburtius, to Christianity. As a result, all three were condemned to death (230). They tried unsuccessfully to suffocate St. Cecilia in her own bath by steaming her alive. Witnesses heard her singing songs to God throughout the ordeal (that is why she is the patron saint of music). They then tried to behead her. By Roman law, the executioner only had three attempts to severe the head.

The executioner, unsuccessful, ran away leaving her to slowly bleed to death. During the next few days, many were converted by her preaching. She died in a pool of her own blood, her fingers outstretched to proclaim her faith in the Triune God.

The bodies of this holy family were transferred to this church in 821 by Pope Paschal I (817-824). (See the mosaic depicting Paschal (with square nibus) giving the church to St. Cecilia who introduces him to St. Paul. Jesus in the center and next to him is Ss. Peter, Valerian, and Agatha. Below are the 12 lambs approaching Christ the Lamb of God from Bethlehem and Jerusalem.) In 1599, her tomb was opened and her body was found to be incorruptible. The sculptor Moderno was there, drew what he saw, and later made the famed statue (see photo). It' is located below the main altar.

In the heart of Transtiber, in a beautiful Romanesque square stands the church of St. Mary. On the spot of this church, shortly before the birth of Christ, oil gushed out of the ground. Mary carried Christ "the Anointed One" (reference to the oil) in her arms.

The Mother of God is today's stational leader to Christ, the Light of the world. We fly to your patronage, Holy Mother of God. Do present our humble prayers to Him, whom you did bring forth, the King that rules heaven and earth. Help us, good Mother, that He may keep us away from the broad road, which leads to darkness and perdition and take us on the narrow but sure way to eternal light and life.

It is Thursday, four weeks from the great Eucharistic Thursday. May today's Eucharistic action give us light to see the right way and strength to follow it. And Christ is the "Way," and Mary, our leader to this "Way"Per Mariam ad Jesum!

Let us pray: Grant us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the help of Thy grace, that being duly intent on fasts and prayers, we may be delivered from enemies of soul and body. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Day XVI. Thursday, Week II."God of love, bring us back to you. Send your Spirit to make us strong in faith and active in good works. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen" (Collect for today).

Santa Maria in Trastevere. One of the oldest and most beautiful churches in the city, Santa Maria was built on the site of a miraculous font of oil, which flowed for one day in the year 36 BC. This was interpreted as a divine portent that an Anointed One would be born whose power would flow to the entire world. The Christians later understood this to be fulfilled in Christ. An oratory was built here by

Pope Callistus I (217-222) and later rebuilt twice, the last as a offering of thanksgiving for the end of the schism in 1124 when the anti-pope resigned. (The mosaics in this church are extraordinary. The photo is one of Jesus' birth.) Thursdays churches are places where the poor are tended to in a special way. Today, the Community of SantEgidio tend to the needs of the poor from this church.

Mother Church points today to the "Great Friday" on which our High Priest and Redeemer obtained for us eternal redemption. She takes us today to the church of St. Vitalisfather of the holy martyrs, Gervase and Protase. For his loyalty to Christ, St. Vitalis was first buried up to the waist in an old cistern and then stoned to death.

Here at the altar of this martyr  his name means "full of life"  Holy Mother Church directs our attention to the life-giving death of the Savior. In four weeks we will celebrate the life-begetting Passion of Christ. Pointing to this great mystery, the Church prays that we continue to prepare for it; that the holy fast may chasten us and make our hearts pure, so that when the vintage time of the Paschal solemnity arrives, the divine householder may not be obliged to say: "I looked that my vineyard should bring forth grapes, and it has brought forth thorns."

May St. Vitalis, who drank so abundantly of the sacred winepress of the Lord's Passions, accompany us today to the Eucharistic Banquet in which this most Holy Passion is rendered present and the fruits thereof applied to our souls. Here all of us will become "Vitales"living members of Christthe Fountain of all life and holiness.Let us pray: Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that cleansed by this holy fast, we may be brought by Thee with pure hearts to the holy season, which is to come. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

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